Art Shoes

Some of my summer students created shoes ... from scratch.

No cobblers or shoe elves were needed.

These young teens looked at inspirational pictures of shoe projects 

in ClothPaperScissors, a mixed media technique periodical 

--- then they eagerly designed their own sculptures. 

by Mike

Sketchbooks held skeletal plans, along with lists of potential materials.  I also brought out an armload of my own shoes to muse over---though I have no 4-inch spike heels.

by Leah

 Patterns were drawn and redrawn, stuff was gathered.  "Stuff", as in styrofoam, Celluclay, paper mache' stripping, leather, heavy pliable plastic mesh, masking tape, photo-copied game boards and text, upholstery tacks and discarded plastic and wooden objects ...

My studio/classroom space holds a plethora of materials so nobody went wanting. 

by Mari

Following the order of sequential steps was the toughest thing to keep in mind.   To have a vision and not get there in a hurry takes patience and forethought.  I emphasized jotting down their ideas of what they wanted to accomplish each day and then planning and numbering them.  Not an easy thing to do when one has never been down this yellow-brick-road before. 

by Anna

Another important lesson to learn:  Be open to changing your  vision.
"That didn't work..." and then "This keeps falling off ..." is what I hear in the classroom studio.  However, I think kids can be more accommodating if Plan A or B doesn't work.  There are always Plans C - Z.   Never having gone down this art road before can be an asset to younger people.
Of course, my overflowing bins and colorful "drawers of potential" helped, too.